At a Glance
- Tasks: Create impactful Power BI solutions and collaborate with diverse teams.
- Company: Join the UK's largest independent social research organisation.
- Benefits: Enjoy 25 days holiday, flexible working, and a generous pension scheme.
- Other info: Hybrid work model with excellent career development opportunities.
- Why this job: Make a difference through data while developing your skills in a supportive environment.
- Qualifications: Experience in Power BI, strong communication skills, and a passion for analytics.
The predicted salary is between 40000 - 50000 € per year.
Role: BI Analyst
Location: London or Romford - (Hybrid - 2 days office)
Salary: Competitive
Department: IT & Systems
Contract: 12m FTC
Power BI Development
- Deliver enterprise‑grade Power BI solutions, including advanced DAX, Power Query (M) transformations, semantic modelling, and performance optimisation.
- Build interactive dashboards and reports aligned to user needs and NatCen UI/UX standards.
- Ensure visualisations meet accessibility, clarity, and interpretability principles for research and operational users.
Key Responsibilities
- Communication & Collaboration with Stakeholders
- Communicate technical concepts clearly to non‑technical colleagues.
- Present analytical findings in ways that are easy to understand and act on.
- Work collaboratively with Data Architect, researchers, and organisational leads to deliver shared outcomes.
- Partner with colleagues across Research, Operations, Finance, HR, and Data Services to define, document, and validate reporting requirements.
- Facilitate workshops, walkthroughs, and feedback sessions to ensure outputs meet organisational and research needs.
- Translate business questions into analytical designs, KPIs, and executive‑ready reporting outputs.
- Databricks & Analytical Engineering
- Use Databricks to transform curated datasets into analytics‑ready semantic tables/datasets.
- Write high‑quality SQL; familiarity with PySpark and Databricks is desirable.
- Work closely with the Data Architect, who owns core Databricks platform design, to ensure analytical datasets align with enterprise models and standards.
Skills Knowledge and Expertise
Essential
- Significant hands-on experience delivering enterprise PowerBI solutions with a proven background.
- Strong DAX, Power Query, and semantic model design skills.
- Strong grounding in dimensional modelling and analytics best practice.
- Experience turning ambiguous requirements into well‑defined specifications.
- Ability to document requirements, manage changes, and maintain traceability throughout delivery.
- Strong communication skills and the ability to influence and collaborate effectively.
Desirable:
- Experience using Databricks in research, public sector, social statistics, or financial analytics contexts.
- Excellent SQL capabilities and practical experience with large‑scale data pipelines.
- Exposure to PySpark or Python in a data engineering or analytics environment.
- Familiarity with research data structures, survey data, or longitudinal datasets.
- Experience contributing to organisational data governance frameworks.
- Experience working in Agile delivery environments.
Benefits
- As well as a competitive salary, attractive bonus structure and excellent working environment (including a home/office hybrid working environment), you will be working for the largest independent social research organisation in the UK.
- 25 days holiday (plus 8 bank holidays) and flexible working.
- Generous company pension scheme.
- Life insurance and health cash plan.
- Cycle to Work scheme and season ticket loan.
- Career development, professional subscriptions support and mentoring support from industry-leading experts.
About the National Centre for Social Research
At The National Centre for Social Research, we believe that social research has the power to make life better. By really understanding the complexity of people’s lives and what they think about the issues that affect them, we give the public a powerful and influential role in shaping services that can make a difference to everyone. And as an independent, not-for-profit organisation we’re able to focus our time and energy on meeting our clients’ needs and delivering social research that works for society.
Our Values & Behaviors
- We Are Curious - Uses data to improve field performance and delivery; explores new approaches to workforce management.
- We Move with Purpose - Drives delivery against operational targets; aligns workforce planning to demand.
- We Act with Integrity - Ensures fair and compliant field practices; maintains quality and ethical standards.
We are proud to say we are a Disability Confident Committed Employer, so if you require any reasonable adjustments during the interview process please make us aware and we will endeavour to support you to help you showcase your best self during our hiring process.
BI Analyst - 12 month contract in London employer: the National Centre for Social Research
The National Centre for Social Research is an exceptional employer, offering a competitive salary and a generous benefits package, including 25 days of holiday and a robust pension scheme. With a strong commitment to employee development and a collaborative work culture, you will have the opportunity to work alongside industry-leading experts in a hybrid environment that promotes flexibility and work-life balance, all while contributing to impactful social research that shapes public services.
Contact Detail:
the National Centre for Social Research Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land BI Analyst - 12 month contract in London
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to your connections in the industry, especially those who work at NatCen or similar organisations. A friendly chat can sometimes lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by practising your storytelling skills. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've used Power BI, DAX, and SQL in past projects. We want to hear how you turned complex data into actionable insights!
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your collaborative spirit! During interviews, highlight times when you worked with cross-functional teams. Emphasise your ability to communicate technical concepts to non-technical folks – it’s a key skill for this role.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, we love seeing candidates who take that extra step to engage with us directly.
We think you need these skills to ace BI Analyst - 12 month contract in London
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application:Make sure to customise your CV and cover letter for the BI Analyst role. Highlight your experience with Power BI, DAX, and SQL, and show how your skills align with what we’re looking for. This helps us see why you’re a great fit!
Showcase Your Communication Skills:Since you'll be working with non-technical colleagues, it’s important to demonstrate your ability to communicate complex ideas simply. Use examples in your application that show how you've successfully collaborated with different teams.
Be Specific About Your Experience:When detailing your past roles, focus on specific projects where you delivered Power BI solutions or worked with Databricks. We love seeing concrete examples of how you’ve turned ambiguous requirements into actionable insights.
Apply Through Our Website:We encourage you to apply directly through our website. It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining our team!
How to prepare for a job interview at the National Centre for Social Research
✨Know Your Power BI Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your Power BI skills, especially DAX and Power Query. Be ready to discuss how you've delivered enterprise-grade solutions in the past and be prepared to showcase your ability to create interactive dashboards that meet user needs.
✨Communicate Like a Pro
Since you'll need to explain technical concepts to non-technical colleagues, practice simplifying complex ideas. Think about examples from your past experiences where you successfully communicated findings or facilitated workshops, and be ready to share those stories.
✨Get Familiar with Databricks
If you have experience with Databricks, make sure to highlight it! If not, do some quick research on how it integrates with Power BI and SQL. Being able to discuss how you would use Databricks to transform datasets will show you're proactive and eager to learn.
✨Showcase Your Collaboration Skills
This role involves working closely with various stakeholders, so think of examples where you've collaborated effectively in the past. Be ready to discuss how you’ve partnered with different teams to define reporting requirements and ensure outputs meet organisational needs.
